Wednesday 7 December 2011

advertising breast feeding in a formula obsessed world

There is a e-petition at http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/24494 calling for a ban on all advertising for formula.
I agree with this and urge everyone to sign it. There should be clear information to allow women to make a choice. A lot of people think formula is the same as breast milk when really its just cows milk with chemicals added, the adverts for formula reinforce this and stop people making an informed choice. One example of how they miss lead is the amount of iron in them, the iron in breast milk doesn't need to be in such high amounts as it is absorbed easily where as most of the iron in formula is not absorbed, but I know of people who have put their baby on follow on milk as they "need the iron"
While discussing this I was surprised to hear people saying they felt is pressures people to breastfeed.
Why is formula "advertised" but breast feeding "pushed".
Formula company have adverts on TV and in magazines,where they can be seen by everyone, that is seen as ok. If a breast feeding mother starts talking about the positives of breast feeding in lots of places she gets accused of pressuring others to breast feed, being obsessed, making others feel bad. Mums who formula feed think nothing of giving antidote tales of a formula feed baby who where never ill, really happy and a perfect size. Brest feeding mums are left in a situation where we have to think carefully before we state facts supported by scientific research in case we are accused of being "the breast feeding mafia". If we share breastfeeding blogs or information we are left in a state of worry knowing people are likely to accuse us of forcing breastfeeding on them.
We feel we can't talk about the risks of formula feeding in case people think we are saying they are a bad mother. Last week my own mother who had breast cancer last year, asked if she might not have got it if she had breastfed. I had to give the honest answer and say it would have reduced the chance of her getting it. However I hesitated before I told her, and felt bad afterwards. Why? I don't feel bad when I tell her smoking is bad for her health why should this be any different?
We live in a culture where formula is seen as normal and breastfeeding something we can choose to do. Formula adverts help to strengthen that culture.
Breastfeeding is normal, formula is something that should only be used when needed in which case there is no need to advertise it.

3 comments:

  1. Very interesting piece with good points made. I've shared on Twitter and will link in a forthcoming piece I'm writing :-)

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  2. is the petition still going or does it stop on a certain date just wanted to know to share on my page. x

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